The two brothers had Danny Woodhead at a disadvantage. Standing between the teenaged pair for a photo, Woodhead adjusted for the height differential, hoisting an arm over each’s shoulder and elevating himself just slightly to draw even. Woodhead smiled broadly as their mom took the picture.

Mind you, only a few minutes earlier, Woodhead had been surrounded in practice by Chargers teammates upwards of 6-foot-8 and more than 300 pounds. Only then, he'd tried to make himself smaller, and did so to great effect.

“To me, I think at times I use it to my advantage,” said Woodhead, the multi-purpose running back who signed with the Chargers over the winter. “You can hide behind those big guys up front. I don’t always think about it while I’m doing it, but when the play’s over, I realize, they couldn’t see me. If I’m 5-11, 6-0, they’re probably going to see me.

“People always say, “Man, he’s so small.’ I go “Yeah?” I just don’t know where that hurts me. I’m not a small running back. Height-wise, I’m not a tall running back. Ray Rice is not tall. Darren Sproles really isn’t the tallest guy.”

OK, now he’s talking.

Frankly, the Chargers haven’t been the same offensively since they let Sproles waterbug off to rejoin Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints. The departure of the 5-foot-5 Sproles, who was as fierce a blocker on third downs as he was elusive with the ball in hand, was even more decried after he set the NFL’s single-season record for all-purpose yards (2,696) his first year with New Orleans.

Further comparison between Woodhead and Sproles probably should end right there, if only for the sake of fairness. Because while they may be similar in their lack of altitude, along with their versatility and willingness to do anything on a football field, they are different backs.

Woodhead, generously listed at 5-foot-9, is built more like a sawed-off linebacker at 200-plus pounds. The catch being, he’s often the defensive responsibility of linebackers who simply can’t catch him, owing to the kind of speed and agility that would have made Woodhead one of the best all-around athletes at the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine.

If only he’d been invited. Story of his football life.

Presumably because of his height, the Nebraska Cornhuskers didn’t offer the multi-sport star from North Platte a scholarship, so he went to Chadron State instead and became one of the most productive backs in Division II history. Woodhead set an all-division, single-season rushing record of 2,470 yards in 2006. And wasn’t drafted.

Signed by the Chargers’ new regime, Woodhead comes west after a rookie year with the New York Jets and the past two seasons with the New England Patriots.

“I can’t wait to see him in games,” said Chargers safety Eric Weddle, who’s become fast friends with Woodhead. “He’s so hard to deal with in the running game, because you can’t see him. He just gets swallowed up, then bounces out or sneaks through a hole. He’s short, but very compact and really, really powerful.

“He's the kind of back we haven't had here in quite a while. Guys like that, who create mismatches, will really kill you. You don’t really have a game plan for guys like that.”

All the old game plans, of course, are out the window in San Diego. Woodhead joins the Chargers at a time when everybody – including quarterback Philip Rivers – is adapting to a new system and learning on the go. Which is part of the reason Woodhead, a free agent who had been considering other offers while the Chargers were making the changes to general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy, decided to cast his lot with the new guys.

“What made it for me was being able to talk to them before the decision,” said Woodhead, who also returned punts in New England. “I knew after those conversations that I wanted to be a part of what they were starting up. I knew all the people that were already in place. I was excited to come to work with guys like Philip and Weddle, guys I’d played against, guys I felt I knew what they were all about.”

With the return of Ronnie Brown and signing of Woodhead, the Chargers are more than hinting at the switch to a multi-back system that’s not so totally reliant on Ryan Mathews. Early as it is in the process, Woodhead would appear to be a highly viable addition as a third-down back, given his combination of blocking and pass-catching skills.

He’s already showing signs in camp of being a go-to guy for Rivers. Woodhead’s height certainly isn’t making it difficult for Rivers to find him, open as the back so often has been.

“Now, correct me if I’m wrong,” said Woodhead, completing his point, “but there are not a lot of halfbacks they send on fade routes.”